Outdoor open-air parking lots cover a significant amount of surface area. Oftentimes, an outdoor parking lot can cover 10 times the surface area of the building(s) which it services. This large, open-air surface area is exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation, and represents a significant opportunity for solar energy generation. As open-air parking lots currently exist, absent being able to charge parking fees, they generally serve as a revenue drain due to construction, maintenance, security lighting and upkeep costs.
The possibility of capturing the solar energy radiating on parking lots creates the possibility of offsetting their expenses, or even making them profit generating, while taking advantage of open-air space that already exists and is exposed to the sun. For example, adjacent buildings could use the generated electricity for its own purposes, thus saving costs that would be paid to a utility company; or some or all of the electricity could be sold to the utility company to generate revenue. Moreover, irrespective of the potential financial benefits, the ability to take advantage of this open-air space to generate electricity by solar cell technology is entirely environmentally positive. Specifically, the electricity generated will have no carbon emissions, and takes advantage of open-air space that already exists, thus avoiding intrusion into undeveloped areas, which is often the case with large solar cell farms.
Others have previously attempted to create parking shelters with solar cell technology to capture solar energy radiating onto an open-air parking lot. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,285,719, and 7,531,741, and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2004/0065025 A1 and 2006/0207192 A1, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Also, examples of other such structures are available from Envision Solar (see, www.envision.com/portfolio-services/solar-car-port). However, none of these approaches have seen wide-scale commercial adoption. These each have significant shortcomings. In particular, these designs use large flat canopy structures for supporting a large array of rigid solar panels. While this may effectively provide the solar energy generating functionality, such structures are poorly suited for use in an exposed outdoor environment. Specifically, such large flat canopy structures can create a significant amount of lift or downward force under high wind conditions. As such, the support structure and associated connections must be overdesigned to ensure sufficient stability and strength to withstand such forces. Also, in Northern regions, snow or ice may gather on these structures, significantly adding to their weight (these roof structures are also typically oriented at a specific angle to the sun creating limitations and concentrating water run-off to one end of the structure where it needs to be captured and diverted). This results in a structure that is significantly more expensive, and may also be aesthetically unsightly.
Accordingly, the present inventor has recognized a long-felt but unresolved need for an improved open-air parking shelter that functions to effectively capture solar radiation for conversion to electricity, yet has a structural design that better manages airflow due to high winds and prevents the accumulation of precipitation.